Indo-Pak journalists for easing travel restrictions | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Indo-Pak journalists for easing travel restrictions

Pakistan Press Foundation

Karachi: The journalists of Karachi Press Club and Mumbai Press Club demanded on Saturday an end to the restrictions on communication and travel on the journalists of India and Pakistan and allowing them unrestricted access to all parts of the two neighbouring countries in pursuit of media coverage.

The two journalist organisations had signed a memorandum of understanding two years ago to set up fraternal links and also released a set of objectives that included improving media communication and exchange of journalists between the two countries.

A 14-member delegation of the Mumbai Press Club arrived in the city on November 23 on a week-long visit under an exchange programme which also included visit to Islamabad and Lahore. The delegation left for India on Saturday morning with a hope to meet again without any hurdle and obstruction from the bureaucratic front.

After reviewing the two-year process, the representatives of Karachi and Mumbai press clubs said that while the journalists exchange programme was on the course, the governments of the two countries had done little to improve media communication and remove barriers for journalists. They demanded from their respective governments to take immediate steps and implement the same in this regard.

Following is the charter of declaration released on the occasion:

– The ceiling of allowing only two accredited journalists permanent station in the capitals of either country is irrational and restrictive considering the demand for news by the people of both the countries. The quota system should be removed and the representatives of all mainline publications, TV channels and other digital media should be allowed to be stationed in both New Delhi and Islamabad.

– The severe travel restrictions imposed on journalists have made comprehensive and truthful reporting impossible, and journalists of both the sides should be allowed unrestricted access to all parts of the two countries as long as it is in pursuit of media coverage.

– The restriction on the distribution of print editions of publications imposed by the two countries is archaic and restrictive especially since the internet editions are freely available throughout the globe. This imposition should be removed immediately.

Besides improving media communication between both the sides, the two press clubs also demanded that travel restrictions and deliberate curbs should be relaxed as soon as possible. These include:

– Opening of the Indian High Commission in important non-capital cities like Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore in Pakistan and Pakistani High Commission branches in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

– Faster processing of visa applications and encouraging tourism and exchange programmes between the two sides.

– Automatic grant of visas to categories like patients, and those travelling to establish family contacts, or for education and sporting activities.

To speed up the said process, the representatives of the two press clubs have decided to set up a permanent joint committee that will lobby both the governments and bring in senior members of civil society of both Pakistan and India to ensure the widest possible consensus to get both the governments open up increasing people-to-people contacts.

‘Unfair to blame Pakistan’

Pakistan has itself been in the frontline of the global war against terrorism and the perception it is infiltrating into India is unfair, said Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad on Saturday.

Talking to a joint delegation of Karachi and Mumbai press clubs at the Governor House, Ebad also refuted the impression that terrorism had been proliferating through religious seminaries in Pakistan.

All seminaries in the country had been functioning under the centralised check-and-balance system maintained by the Wafaq-ul-Madaris, he claimed.

He lamented the trend of Pakistan-bashing speeches among leading Indian politicians whenever general elections were held in India. Whereas, he said, there had been no such negative electioneering trends in Pakistan. The Pakistani masses had always demanded close relations and frequent contacts with Indian people.

The governor said there was a vast potential for bilateral trade between India and Pakistan.

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